Why People Suck
I think when we, humans, do not have something positive to believe in — it’s too easy to behave badly and without remorse.
The modern Industrial age has brought information from all corners of the world and made it globally public. The Industrial age — has given us modern folks a lot of spare time to think. Modern media also knows that bad news spreads faster than good news and brings in more customers. One rarely hear stories of good, only bad. Even then on the bad stories, they are so over hyped and reported that the average citizen believes these stories are the normal instead of the exception. It’s a vicious cycle.
In my opinion, I see a direct line between how much we suck and a decline in morality and/or religion. Many have said, and will say, religions are false, or hypocritical, or just scientifically untrue. I won’t argue with that. Many have moved away from these roots of religion — or changed their views negatively because of some charismatic leader who also uses negativity (cult tactics) to garner more followers.
I, myself, have always believed in the teachings of Jesus Christ. I think, in general most people do. Notice, I didn’t say I am a Christian or believe in God or Christ? At one point I had convinced myself that God was a myth and so was Jesus (or at the very least he was a real person in history but a faker about his real origins). But I’ve always believed in the golden rule. I think it’s our failure to stop believing in that rule or believing it won’t make a difference — is the source of why societies have increased in moral turpitude.
For me it has become about religion!
In the past couple of years of my life, due to studying, asking questions, observing, opening my mind to learning more; I’ve come to believe that God is my origin and Jesus Christ did die to help save me. It’s been a relief to come back. I feel its important to live my life in a Christlike way. That the mistakes I made or make are part of being human and forgivable, as long as we want to be forgiven (have remorse). Because I didn’t believe in God/Jesus, I didn't believe in myself. It’s especially enlightening or rather it has lightened my soul that there is someone/something, God, out there that believes in me, no strings attached.
But for you…?
I don’t tell you any of the above story about my beliefs in an attempt to convert or convince you; but rather as an example of how my whole way of thinking changed because I finally believed in a higher power (as the 12 stepping AA folks like to say). I stopped giving up on myself and humanity.
I feel humans will always be better people when they have a good reason to live and die. Our lack of belief in a higher power, whether it be God, Shiva, Allah, or Aliens — is part of the problem. We are reasoning, beyond-complex, smart, and many of us question that we formed from randomness.
Randomness or having no purpose can take away any meaning life might have. And we find ourselves not caring how we treat others. Luckily for us, sometimes all it takes having a child to bring this kind of thing in perspective, because of the fierceness of your love for said child, and your desire to create a better life for this child also brings about reform and goodness.
Since at least the beginning of the Industrial age, we just stopped believing in goodness because we have been told by charismatic leaders, or social influencers (if you will) that happiness and kindness are not real. And to further underscore that, we are now convinced by media, only bad exists.
What can we do?
We need to either find a higher power to believe in or believe in ourselves (and that is nearly impossible to do with out good guidance, a higher power). The rest should fall into place.
As Mahatma Gandhi once said: Be the change you wish to see in the world. Or with specific instruction from Mother Theresa: “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” And, of course, as Jesus famously said: So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the law and the prophets.
